Subscribe to our free social sector news and jobs services!

Stay informed with Australia's number 1 resource for the social sector.

Breaking national NFP news

Jobs and career opportunities

Conferences and events from across Australia

Plus: Sign up today and receive a FREE copy of our Executive Webinar: Government Relations for Not for Profits - A Tactical Approach.

First Name

Last Name

Email Address*

Post Code*

Subscribe to our email bulletins:Pro Bono News | Social sector news bulletin. Sent every Tuesday and Thursday morning.Pro Bono News | Good Business edition. Sent on the first Wednesday of every month.Pro Bono Careers | Purpose-driven job alerts & career news. Sent every Monday morning.Pro Bono Resources | Sector specific professional tools & webinar updates. Sent once a week.Subscriber Offers | Exclusive sector content from our supporting partners. Sent once a month.

National Taskforce to Tackle Housing AffordabilityTuesday, 14th April 2015 at 12:10 pm

A new national taskforce will tackle housing affordability as a new report confirms that stable housing is the key to long-term employment.

Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey announced recently that the taskforce, to be led by Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, would target the “inability of young people to be able to access the housing market in a way they previously have been”.

It is understood the main aim of the taskforce will be to look at ways to increase the supply of housing stock.

The building industry welcomed the increased focus on housing affordability, with CEO of Master Builders Australia, Wilhelm Harnisch, saying that it could address the issue of supply not being able to keep up with demand.

“The availability of adequate affordable and appropriate housing is a fundamental pillar underpinning our social and economic wellbeing as a community.

“More effective cooperation between all levels of Government is fundamental to meaningful action on housing affordability because over-regulation and inefficiency in the supply process by state and local governments is the major barrier to building new housing.”

It comes as a new report from the Productivity Commission contradicted claims that public housing is a disincentive to work and highlighted the role of stable housing in employment outcomes.

Deputy CEO of welfare peak body, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), Tessa Boyd-Caine, welcomed the report.

“This report confirms what ACOSS has been saying for a long time, namely that it's the level of disadvantage and employment support available that determines a person's work opportunities, not the characteristics of the housing assistance they receive,” Boyd-Caine said.

"The McClure Review correctly identified an inequity in the different treatment of public and private rental tenants on low incomes. ACOSS supports its recommendation for a review of housing assistance and rent settings, including the adequacy and indexation of Rent Assistance. However, the Commission's report confirms our concerns that the McClure Review's proposal to move public housing tenants to market rents would increase rental stress among public housing tenants without increasing employment participation.

"Reform should ensure that both public and private tenants receive adequate subsidies to protect them from rental stress and after-housing poverty.”

Boyd-Caine said the Commission's report found that housing has an important “stability effect” and that short tenures are a concern from an employment perspective.

It also found that the more times a person moves in a 12-month period, the less likely they will be working at the end of the year and that public housing tenancies average seven years compared to 1.2 years in a private market.

Got a story to share?

Got a news tip or article idea for Pro Bono News? Or perhaps you would like to write an article and join a growing community of sector leaders sharing their thoughts and analysis with Pro Bono News readers?